I just found this on the Malaysian Press. However, I really doubt the source of this information. As I had checked Lauda Air's timetable for Winter 2001/2002, there was no more direct flight by Lauda Air to KUL, SYD or MEL. With this happening, how can Lauda Air increase their frequency to 10 times weekly? Is there so much demand for the SYD/MEL/KUL-VIE sector to need 10 weekly flights, when MAS just announce their intentions to suspend their VIE flights? Another case of BA's service to KUL, where now Lauda Air is playing MAS role instead?

Secondly, Korean Airlines, just recently for the Summer 2001 schedules just reduced their direct flights from total of 3 weekly flights to 2 weekly flights although MAS increased their weekly services from 3 to 4, still making the total of 6 weekly nonstop ICN-KUL flights. Does this sounds funny?

Asiana Airlines planned to initiate flights into KUL for a long time, but had yet to materialized. According to Malaysian press again, Asiana planned to fly in passenger flights last year, but obviously this didn't happen, just cargo flights.

And as far as Emirates is concern, they did NOT increase their frequency to KUL from DXB. Probably they are going to introduce the DXB-Australia flights via KUL then in the future! Nothing announced so far! And why Malaysian press always stating that ANA is leaving KUL, when they are only suspending it for only a couple of months? Food for thought! Here's the press release:

AT LEAST three airlines are expected to take advantage of the Government's offer of free landing and parking charges at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by increasing their flights into and out of the country. Sources said carriers like Lauda Air, Korean Airlines and Asiana Airlines have expressed interest to increase flight frequencies out of the airport.

Lauda Air is expected to double its flights to Vienna to 10 times a week. The airline now mounts 10 flights a week in all out of KLIA, to Vienna, Sydney and Melbourne. Korean Airlines, which already has a code-sharing agreement with national carrier Malaysia Airlines, is also said to be planning to increase its services, from the current six flights (except Monday) a week to Seoul. Asiana Airlines, South Korea's second largest carrier, is meanwhile looking into expanding its freighter service.

"These additional flights have yet to be finalized. . . . the airlines are still negotiating with the relevant authorities," the sources told Business Times. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik announced last Friday that all new flights into the KLIA, beginning May 1, will enjoy free landing and parking as part of efforts to turn the airport into an international aviation hub.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), the parent company of Malaysia Airports Sepang Sdn Bhd, said the group's earnings might be "slightly affected", but the revenues forgone could be offset by higher passenger volume from additional flights. Malaysia Airports (Sepang) is the manager and operator of KLIA. The KLIA hubbing committee, chaired by the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Zaharah Shaari, recommended the move. Committee members include representatives from the ministry, Malaysia Airports (Sepang) and Department of Civil Aviation.

The decision is in part a response to the termination of services to KLIA by four foreign airlines, British Airways, Qantas Airways, Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways _ in the past two years due to low load factor.

MAHB executive director (finance) Rosman Abdullah said the group has yet to receive any feedback from the airlines, adding that they need to take other factors into consideration besides the landing and parking charges. "The announcement was made only last Friday. . . . It will take some time for the strategy to bring results," he added. Under the proposed fee waiver, an airline with four flights into the country would enjoy free landing and parking charges for its fifth and subsequent flights. Limited to passenger aircraft, the flights must have at least 25 per cent capacity. The incentives apply to all 41 of the existing airlines using the airport, and any new ones as well, but it is not known how long the waiver will be maintained.

Last April, the International Air Transport Association's Global Airport Monitor ranked KLIA as the sixth most favored airport in terms of service, up from 14th in 1999. It also ranked KLIA as the airport with the second best hub potential in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to the announcement of the fees waiver, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch have increased their frequencies to KLIA.

I wouldn't read too much into the Malaysian press if I were you... they're filled with inaccuracies - firstly, NG does not have a large enough fleet of 777s and/or 767s to double their frequencies to KUL! As you rightly point out, MH has already suspended Vienna; and NG's service to KUL is timed to suit Europe-Australia traffic. Its KUL-SYD service, for example, departs KUL at an ungodly 0530 hrs which suggests that KUL is no more than a cheap transit stop for them.

As for Korean Air, they're code-sharing with MH (like virtually every other airline serving KUL) and their frequencies have always hovered around the 2 to 3 times weekly - this will not change unless something drastic happens, like if MH were to join Sky Team..!

Asiana already operate a weekly cargo service to KUL - they are said to be interested in increasing this.

You're right about Emirates too - they've had 4 flights/week for a while now, so all the talk of extra flights is nonsense. Their manager for Malaysia was once interviewed where he said Emirates intended to increase frequencies to daily (without a date when this will be implemented). Perhaps that's the source of the confusion.